Learn the Details of CRS-7 Research

2015-2199Plant growth in space and combustion in microgravity are two of the areas of research that will gain special attention thanks to the payloads and supplies to be launched to the International Space Station aboard CRS-7.

A SpaceX Dragon spacecraft is to lift off aboard a Falcon 9 rocket Sunday at 10:21 a.m. EDT loaded with more than 4,000 pounds of experiments and supplies. The payloads include hardware and other critical materials for more than 30 student experiments as well as 35 scientific investigations to be performed by astronauts during Expeditions 44 and 45.

Pouches containing seeds of lettuce and cabbage – pictured being prepared on Earth – will be taken to the station for the Veg-03 experiment which will see astronauts tend to the plants as they grow in orbit. The Dragon will also carry materials for investigating meteors as they fly into Earth’s atmosphere. The Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency, JAXA, will use a small rack inside the Kibo module of the station for the combustion research with materials brought up on the Dragon.

For more details about the mission and its payloads, take a look at the spacex_crs7_mission_overview.

CRS-7 Briefings and Coverage Schedule

spacex2launch-vertNASA commercial partner SpaceX currently is targeting Sunday, June 28, for the launch of its seventh cargo delivery to the International Space Station under the agency’s Commercial Resupply Services contract. NASA Television coverage of the launch begins at 9 a.m. EDT.

The company’s Falcon 9 rocket will lift off at 10:21 a.m. carrying its Dragon cargo spacecraft to the station from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The Dragon spacecraft will be filled with more than 4,000 pounds of supplies and payloads, including critical materials for the science and research investigations that will occur during Expeditions 44 and 45.

In addition to launch coverage, NASA also will host a session discussing science on the station Friday at 1 p.m. EDT and a prelaunch briefing on Saturday at 2 p.m., both available on NASA TV and online.

You can find out all the details about CRS-7 briefings and events here.

CRS-7 Launch Date: June 28, 10:21 A.M. EDT

The seventh SpaceX cargo mission to the International Space Station under NASA’s Commercial Resupply Services contract now is targeted for launch at 10:21 a.m. EDT on Sunday, June 28, from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. If the launch does not occur on Sunday, the next launch opportunity would be at 9:58 a.m. on Monday, June 29.

The company’s Falcon 9 rocket will carry its Dragon cargo spacecraft filled with more than 5,500 pounds of supplies and payloads for the station, including critical materials for the science and research investigations that will occur during Expedition 44 and 45.

The launch date has been updated on NASA’s website at https://www.nasa.gov/launchschedule/. Later today NASA will issue an advisory of prelaunch activities and briefings to be held Friday and Saturday June 24-25.

A Brief Look at CRS-7

17132018716_dccd944821_oThe CRS-7 mission will be the seventh operational cargo delivery flight by SpaceX to the International Space Station. It will carry a host of experiments, supplies and equipment for the crew of the orbiting laboratory. It also will ferry the first of two Boeing-built International Docking Adapters that will be used by Commercial Crew spacecraft in the future when they dock at the station.

Launch of CRS-7 from SpaceX’s facilities at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida is targeted for June 26 at 11:09 a.m. We will cover the countdown, launch and ascent into orbit here on the NASA Blog and on NASA TV at www.nasa.gov/ntv

A Look at Dragon’s Arrival at ISS

16994664079_389658680e_oThe SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft was berthed to the Harmony module of the International Space Stationon Friday at 9:29 a.m. EDT while the two spacecraft were traveling above the coast of Sierra Leone. The spacecraft is loaded with more than 4,300 pounds of supplies, science experiments, and technology demonstrations, including critical materials to support about 40 of more than 250 science and research investigations during the station’s Expeditions 43 and 44. The capsule is scheduled to spend five weeks attached to the station.

For an overview of newly delivered science investigations aboard Dragon, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/news/spacex_six/

Dragon Captured at Space Station

While the International Space Station was traveling 257 statue miles over the Pacific Ocean just east of Japan, Expedition 43 Flight Engineer Samantha Cristoforetti of the European Space Agency, with the assistance of Expedition 43 Commander Terry Virts of NASA, successfully captured the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft with the station’s robotic arm at 6:55 a.m. EDT.

Operations to berth Dragon to the space station begin at about 9:40 a.m. NASA TV coverage will resume at 9:15 a.m. at https://www.nasa.gov/nasatv

Read Our Account of Today’s Launch

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NASA/Kim Shiflett

We just posted our launch feature detailing today’s flawless liftoff of the CRS-6 mission and what it means for the overall research missions of the International Space Station and its crew members.

You can read the feature here and stay current throughout the CRS-6 mission here.

Coming up, the Dragon will approach the station at 7 a.m. EDT Friday where it can be captured by the station’s robotic arm for berthing to the International Space Station.

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NASA/Kim Shiflett

 

SpaceX Reports on First Stage Flyback

SpaceX founder Elon Musk reported via Twitter, “Ascent successful. Dragon enroute to Space Station. Rocket landed on droneship, but too hard for survival.” The company is working to recover its first stage after launch, but that work is not a criteria for success with NASA’s missions to deliver cargo to the International Space Station. SpaceX also tweeted this photo:

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